Dandruff aka Seborrheic Dermatitis

Considered a chronic form of eczema, seborrheic dermatitis appears on the body where there are a lot of oil-producing (sebaceous) glands like the upper back, nose and scalp.

With dandruff, the cause is too much oil on your scalp along with an overgrowth of yeast, called Malassezia, that's already on your skin. That excess oil causes skin cells to build up and then shed.

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Common triggers for seborrheic dermatitis include:

• stress

• hormonal changes or illness

• harsh detergents, solvents, chemicals and soaps

• cold, dry weather

• some medications, including psoralen, interferon and lithium

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